EOS RPvs Nikon Z9vs A7 III
Which should you buy?
Entry Full-Frame Stills Photography — EOS RP (2019): An affordable gateway into the RF system. The RP makes sense as a stepping stone camera — if you're committed to Canon RF glass, this is the cheapest full-frame body to buy those lenses for. Just manage expectations on video and battery life.
Professional Sports & Wildlife — Nikon Z9 (2021): The Z9 redefined what professional mirrorless could be — no mechanical shutter, 45MP stacked BSI, and 8K RAW in the most rugged Z body.
All-Round Photography & Video — A7 III (2018): Still one of the best all-round cameras money can buy — particularly strong used. The A7 III proved that full-frame doesn't have to mean compromises, and nothing at this price point has meaningfully beaten it.
Who should buy what
EOS RP (2019)
- Canon users who want to start investing in RF glass affordably
- Stills photographers who shoot primarily in good light
- Anyone coming from a Canon DSLR wanting the RF system at low cost
- Travel photographers who prioritise compactness over video specs
Nikon Z9 (2021)
- You shoot professionally and need a camera body that handles everything without compromise
- You're a sports, wildlife, or commercial photographer who demands the absolute best
- You want a camera body that will remain state-of-the-art for the next decade
A7 III (2018)
- Enthusiast photographers upgrading from APS-C for the first time
- Working photographers who need reliable AF and weather sealing
- Anyone who shoots in low light regularly
- Hybrid shooters needing both stills and video performance
Quick take: The nikon z9 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the eos rp is the most affordable; only the nikon z9, a7 iii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS RP (2019) | Nikon Z9 (2021) | A7 III (2018) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £799 | £5,499 | £1,699 |
| Sensor | 26.2MP Full-Frame CMOS | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 26.2MP | 45.7MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/24p (with 1.7× crop), 1080p/60p | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF, 4779 manually selectable positions | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | None (no IBIS) | 6-stop IBIS | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5fps mechanical | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~250 shots (CIPA) — very limited | 740 shots (CIPA) | ~710 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 485g (body, battery, card) | 1340g body only | 565g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 132.5 × 85.0 × 70.0mm | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Canon RF-mount | Nikon Z-mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
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